Chapter 2453 — The Lighter Is Waterlogged

"Hey, there are some branches here. Can we build a fire?" Wang Xinyan was a little cold too. Though Wei Zhao had been shielding her with his true qi, once they reached this deserted valley she felt the chill creeping in.

"Finders keepers, split down the middle!" Kang Zhaolong shouted, running over short of breath, his heart bleeding. These were branches *he* had discovered, and now he had to give Wei Zhao half? Yet he did not dare refuse—after all, at this moment it was Wang Xinyan who had "found them first."

"Oh, then I'll take half." Wei Zhao spoke mildly. One glance was enough for him to guess that these branches had been placed here deliberately—and who else could have done it but Kang Zhaolong?

"Heh heh..." Kang Zhaolong did not stand on ceremony. Then a thought struck him and he said, "By the way, do either of you have a lighter? Or how about we just use this one pile—I'll start the fire, we all warm ourselves together, and no one has to split anything. How's that?"

"Oh, fine." Wei Zhao had no wish to let Kang Zhaolong freeze to death under these circumstances. After all, Leader Bai set great store by harmony among his disciples, and Wei Zhao rather respected Leader Bai—whose background was no simple matter. Studying under him, Wei Zhao did not quite dare to defy his word.

"Then I won't be polite!" Kang Zhaolong was overjoyed. He pulled a lighter from his pocket and crouched before the branches on the ground, ready to light them.

"You're certainly well-equipped, aren't you? You don't smoke, yet you carry a lighter around? Had it ready all along, didn't you?" Wei Zhao gave Kang Zhaolong a mocking look. "Planning a romantic night in the cave with Wang Xinyan, and never expected me to join, did you?"

Kang Zhaolong was instantly embarrassed, yet he could not deny it. Seeing Wang Xinyan's little face grow even more displeased, he thought to himself that he had gone for wool and come home shorn—today was truly his unlucky day. Had he known, he would never have set this plan in motion. What rotten luck.

But worse luck was still to come. Kang Zhaolong pressed the lighter twice, and his face went stiff—the lighter was waterlogged and would not strike!

"Weren't you going to light the fire? What's wrong?" Wei Zhao watched Kang Zhaolong with a half-smile.

"It's waterlogged..." Kang Zhaolong said, his face ashen.

"Since you can't contribute, there's nothing to be done. No fire for you." Wei Zhao spoke mildly.

"You... you have a way?" Kang Zhaolong blinked and looked at Wei Zhao. "You have a lighter?"

"No." Wei Zhao shook his head.

"You don't have one and you're still giving me grief?" Kang Zhaolong glared at Wei Zhao. "Hurry up and help me fix the lighter!"

"Fix it yourself." Wei Zhao casually tossed out a wisp of fire-attribute elixir flame, and the pile of branches burst into flame with a *whoosh*, burning briskly.

Only then did Kang Zhaolong remember that Wei Zhao was an alchemist who could condense elixir fire and had no need of a lighter at all. So he came sidling back, thick-skinned as ever: "The heat from this fire would just go to waste anyway—let me warm myself a bit, would you?"

"Fine. But when the branches run out, you go gather more." Wei Zhao did not press his advantage to the kill.

"Deal. Just let me dry my clothes first." Kang Zhaolong agreed readily enough. These branches were the ones he and You Panhu had gathered earlier—he knew where to find more.

Kang Zhaolong huddled shivering by the fire, while Wang Xinyan had already recovered. She had not been soaked, only touched by the cold, and there was nothing wrong with her now.

"Hungry?" Wei Zhao asked Wang Xinyan.

"I... I'm all right..." Wang Xinyan was still a little guarded. Though she thoroughly disliked Kang Zhaolong, she also feared that if he were driven into a corner, he might turn the Mysterious Elixir Sect against Wei Zhao.

"I'll go catch some fish." Wei Zhao rose to his feet.

"All right... then I'll sleep a while. I'm a little sleepy..." Wang Xinyan did not want to be alone with Kang Zhaolong, so she found an excuse.

Kang Zhaolong was speechless. He had been overjoyed to hear that Wei Zhao was going to catch fish, but then Wang Xinyan announced she was going to sleep, and he did not know what to say. Still, he could hardly ask her to stay awake and keep him company.

Wei Zhao left. Wang Xinyan closed her eyes and pretended to doze, leaving Kang Zhaolong to warm himself alone in gloom. But the thought that soon he would be eating fresh grilled fish made his mouth water! His pack held some chocolate and compressed biscuits, but how could those compare with grilled fish?

Wei Zhao came to the lakeshore. A natural spring-fed lake like this was bound to hold live fish. He walked carefully over to the hole Kang Zhaolong had smashed in the ice, closed his eyes, and using the jade pendant's perception, reached into the water and began catching fish. Before long he had four, and he drew a blade from his shoe, slit the fish open, cleaned them, and returned to the cave.

Wei Zhao did not think Kang Zhaolong would dare do anything to Wang Xinyan, but he still went quickly and returned quickly. Back in the cave, he saw Wang Xinyan still pretending to doze and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're back?" Hearing footsteps, Wang Xinyan opened her eyes, and her face lit with joy at the sight of Wei Zhao.

"Mm." Wei Zhao found a few branches, skewered the fish, and set them over the fire to roast.

Kang Zhaolong looked at Wang Xinyan, who had slept less than twenty minutes, and did not know what to say. She obviously wanted nothing to do with him! He could plainly feel that ever since the cable-car incident, Wang Xinyan had turned much colder toward him.

Before, she had kept her distance, yes, but never like this—never so cold that she could not be bothered to say a single extra word.

Soon the fish were done. They had no seasoning, but their freshness more than made up for it. Kang Zhaolong's mouth watered. Seeing they were about ready, he asked eagerly, "Can we eat now?"

"They're ready. But you can't have any." Wei Zhao picked up a skewer and handed it to Wang Xinyan.

"Wh—why?" Kang Zhaolong's outstretched hand froze in midair.

"Want some, catch your own. Xinyan and I get two skewers each. None for you." With that, Wei Zhao took a skewer himself and began eating with relish.

Kang Zhaolong very much wanted to snatch a skewer by force, but he did not dare—he feared a beating. He could only smile bitterly and squeeze out an expression uglier than weeping: "Fine..."

"He may be a rotten sort, but isn't that a bit harsh...? He is our classmate, after all?" Wang Xinyan did not want Wei Zhao to offend Kang Zhaolong beyond all repair.

"Wanting to eat without lifting a finger—where's the fairness in that?" Wei Zhao was unconcerned.

Kang Zhaolong had none of Wei Zhao's powerful perception, nor his keen reflexes!

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